New Hotels
For world travelers who’ve been there, done that, there are few things more enticing than a brand-new, high-end hotel. Fresh properties promise the latest and greatest in services and amenities, in some of the most coveted destinations around the world.
We’ve rounded up 15 particularly extraordinary hotels that have yet to celebrate their first birthday — properties boasting remarkable features like infinity-edge pools, world-class art collections and endless ocean views. Many also tout intriguing past lives, as banks, castles, colleges, fire stations and even prisons.
Add them to your bucket list now.
Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
There’s opulence around every corner at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, the esteemed brand’s first property on the United States’ West Coast.
Conceived by acclaimed French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, the visual cornucopia begins in a three-tiered lobby with Lalique crystal, Italian marble, 22-carat gold leaf and glossy cherry wood.
In 119 rooms and 51 over-the-top suites, you can check out the Hollywood Hills through floor-to-ceiling windows, and stow your stuff in gigantic walk-in closets. There’s a saltwater pool on the roof that typifies the trendy L.A. scene. And when you get hungry, you can make your way to acclaimed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s latest offering.
Bulgari Resort Dubai
The United Arab Emirates is home to a plethora of over-the-top properties, and Bulgari Resort Dubai is the latest.
This urban oasis is situated on an exclusive, seahorse-shaped island in the man-made Jumeira Bay in Dubai. Spread across 1.4 million square feet, it boasts 101 hotel rooms and suites, 20 beach-side villas and 15 private mansions. Oh, and an 18,000-square foot spa.
There’s also a marina that’s suitably sized for superyachts. The complex was built to exude a Mediterranean village feel, with lots of marble and polished wood. Exteriors are dotted with lush gardens that include imported lemon, olive and palm trees.
Adare Manor, Ireland
It took two years to renovate a beloved, 19th-century Irish manor into a new, five-star castle/hotel. And the wait was well worth it.
Set on a 842-acre estate in County Limerick, Adare Manor has a 42-bedroom wing that maintains an old-fashioned style straight out of “Downton Abbey.” But the property is far from stodgy; updates include a Tom Fazio–designed golf course and a La Mer spa.
Want to feel like the king of the castle? Try your hand at traditional pastimes like clay pigeon shooting and falconry. Pop in for Irish tea in the Gallery, a grand space with stained-glass windows, or make reservations for dinner at the Oak Room, which serves regional specialties like Tipperary quail.
And cheers — at the Tack Room, there are more than 100 Irish whiskeys to choose from.
The Loren at Pink Beach, Bermuda
The first newly built hotel in Bermuda in a decade is a welcome jolt to the local inventory. The Loren isn’t a traditional British-colonial style property like most others on the island. It’s contemporary, with clean lines and floor-to-ceiling windows in the lobby that offer dramatic views of secluded Pink Beach and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.
Each of the 45 guest rooms shows off a sophisticated palette of earth tones interspersed with blues and silvers. The Loren’s infinity-edge swimming pool is so close to the ocean that sea spray regularly reaches pool swimmers. And its standout formal restaurant, Marée, showcases fresh Bermudian ingredients.
Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa
With the picturesque Camelback Mountains as backdrop, The Andaz is an art- and design-driven newcomer just north of Old Town Scottsdale. The property’s 201 low-slung bungalow-style rooms and suites were built in homage to Scottsdale resident and legendary 20th-century architecture Frank Lloyd Wright. The property is designed with colorful, modernist furniture alongside prints and textiles from the nearby Cattle Track Arts Compound.
To learn about the hotel’s collaboration with the arts collective, sign up for hands-on instruction in painting and pottery at Andaz Salon. Or, chill out and be pampered at the Palo Verde Spa & Apothecary, where treatments include local ingredients like prickly pear and juniper.
The Setai Tel Aviv
Located in what was once an Ottoman-era prison and police station, The Setai Tel Aviv is a 120-room, five-star luxury hotel with a focus on aesthetics.
Marble and stone courtyards converge into a stunning central courtyard, and original details dovetail with modern accents in features like a rooftop vanishing-edge swimming pool. The onsite spa is among the area's best, featuring modern, classic and traditional Turkish treatments.
A full beach coastline is steps away, as is the city’s bustling urban hub and popular Clock Square. Adding to the appeal? Sublime views throughout of the Mediterranean Sea and Jaffa Port.
SLS Baha Mar, Bahamas
Not much is missing at this new star of Baha Mar, Nassau’s massive Caribbean beach resort area. There’s plenty of Bahamian flair here, but the 229-room property is far from traditional.
A sporty look in the lobby features jute ottomans and wicker peacock chairs, and the guest rooms are polished yet beachy, with eclectic wall art and breezy balconies.
If you’re a foodie, you may want to book an extended stay and try the hotel’s more than two dozen restaurants. Katsuya serves a Bahamian take on Japanese favorites. You can also take a margarita-making class at The Swimming Pig or sample a locally sourced menu, including Caribbean lobster tail, at Tides Fish House.
Best of all, though, is the property's location, with a 3,000-foot stretch of beachfront just steps away.
Time + Tide's Miavana, Madagascar
Miavana is the first five-star eco-luxury hotel to open in Madagascar, the isolated African nation where plants and animals outnumber modern conveniences. Located on the private island of Nosy Ankao, the property offers respite with private accommodations that include 14 contemporary villas touting mid-century-style furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Madagascar’s abundance of wildlife is nearby, and the hotel can arrange helicopter safaris to the mainland. There’s also a glittering infinity-edge swimming pool for taking in the sun, and aquatic activities such as snorkeling, fishing and stand-up paddle-boarding. Replenish your energy with private dining options or in an Italian-inspired indoor grotto and cellar.
Detroit Foundation Hotel
According to the lyrics of a classic Kiss song, Detroit rocks — and so too does its new downtown hotel property, the Detroit Foundation Hotel.
This hip five-story, 100-room property is housed in what was once the city's fire department headquarters, and it still looks like it from the outside, thanks to a preserved terra cotta firehouse entrance and red doors. Inside, soaring ceilings are illuminated by hundreds of lightbulbs that hang like setting suns over the downstairs bar. Velvet sofas, vintage rugs and Le Labo bath products complete the decidedly hip ambiance.
The area where the firetrucks used to be housed? It’s now the Michelin-starred Apparatus Room, where millennials are swarming.
Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, Florida
Liz Taylor, Gary Cooper, Frank Sinatra and other Hollywood stars of yore used to hang out at the Surf Club in Surfside, Fla. Now, this 1930s-era Mediterranean Revival hotspot has been transformed into a Four Seasons Hotel.
The property’s three glass towers have been reimagined, and the center tower houses 72 new guest rooms, including five cabana suites with terrazzo floors. Stepping up to the plate on-property later this year: Thomas Keller of French Laundry fame. Keller, whose Napa Valley eatery The French Laundry was once named the best in the world, will bring a classic menu (think Beef Wellington and Lobster Thermador) to The Surf Club Restaurant.
Park Hyatt St. Kitts
Quick geography/history lesson: St. Kitts and its neighboring island of Nevis (once part of the British Virgin Islands) comprise an independent country in the West Indies bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. In this picturesque setting, the brand-new Park Hyatt St. Kitts reigns over the golden sands of Banana Bay.
The resort’s 78 guest rooms and 48 suites are contemporary-chic, and some feature outdoor living rooms and private rooftop plunge pools. At the Miraval Life in Balance spa, massages and scrubs spotlight locally sourced treatment materials. The Stone Barn restaurant is an adults-only dinner venue with a romantic menu that starts with “first encounters” (appetizers) and continues through “the celebration” (desserts).
The Ned, London
The Ned is a 250-room hotel located in a heritage-listed building that once was home to the Edwards Lutyens-designed Midland Bank. In its new incarnation, the vibe is both historic and forward-thinking.
Entering the 20,000-square-foot lobby feels like stepping onto the set of a 1920s musical. There’s action and movement, with eight restaurants set amid soaring columns, palm trees and polished-wood paneling. In keeping with the era of the building, guest rooms have Art Deco touches. Some of the larger suites also feature floral glass chandeliers, mirrored cocktail cabinets and velvet club chairs, as well as marble mosaic bathrooms with walk-in rainforest showers.
JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa, Vietnam
Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island, is now home to the five-star JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa. Located in a former, abandoned French-colonial university, the property mixes oceanfront tranquility with cheeky fun. Going with the college campus theme, for instance, faux school memorabilia decorates the lobby and public spaces.
The resort’s 234 rooms — many with balconies and views of the private beach — are spacious and posh. For R&R, there are three pools and aquatic fitness classes, and the award-winning Chanterelle spa will pamper you from head to toe.
Sagamore Pendry Hotel, Baltimore
Fell’s Point is Baltimore's trendiest waterfront neighborhood — and the elegant 128-room Sagamore Pendry Hotel, not far from the famed Inner Harbor, is its latest crown jewel.
Part of the luxury Montage International brand, the Sagamore was built on the historic Recreation Pier by Under Armor founder and local hero Kevin Plank. Guest rooms resemble old-timey captain’s quarters, with lots of brass and mahogany, and the vibe throughout is appealingly upscale but somehow unpretentious.
Drive up on cobblestone streets or arrive via water taxi service at a private dock. Tour a curated art collection, marvel at the 18th century cannon found onsite during excavation, sip cocktails at the waterfront bar, and be sure to get your free shot of Sagamore Rye at check-in.
Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, Maui
Set on 16 acres along the beautiful northern end of Ka'anapali Beach, Maui's newest resort offers travelers peace and quiet — even in one of the most tourist-visited parts of the island.
The 390-room Westin Nanea (note: Nanea is Hawaiian for “tranquil”) has oceanfront villas available in configurations of up to three bedrooms. Guest rooms are equipped with chef's kitchens and are perfect for families and large groups. With three pools, rejuvenating treatments at Spa Helani, several excellent dining options, and a market where guests can purchase fresh meat and vegetables to grill by the pool, you might find yourself wanting to move in permanently.